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Thoughts and prayers for Jim....and (((((hugs)))) for you! xoxoxo Linda

WELCOME BACK!!!! I was wondering where you were! (((hug))) Linda

I agree You are not alone...and you don't need to be eloquent So glad to meet you, Bud. (((hug))) Linda

I'm so sorry, Shrimp ((((((hug)))))) Prayers of peace, for you and your family.. Linda

WOW Mitch! I am SO happy for you...BOTH for the clean scans, and for the amazing loss! I want pictures too!!! xoxoxo Linda

Hi everybody, I feel terrible for my Mama, her very first pain (from this cancer) has arrived She's had 12 radiation treatments since Aug 27th. On Thursday (2 days ago), she started having some pain in her esophagus. She said it feels kind of like when you swallow something too large, or very pointy, and it takes forever to go down. She rated the pain at about a 5 out of 10. It's happening after she swallows, or coughs, or sneezes, or burps, or bends over...or sometimes for no reason...you get the idea. She's a bit upset because she thought she was going to get away "scott free" without any side effects...poor Mama! She's feeling a little pissed off at the world today...and I made sure to tell her that's OK! So she, and I would like to know...is this normal, have you experienced this, and what else might she expect??? Thanks so much, xoxoxo Linda

I'm in Canada, but it changed my life forever too. I had a brand new baby, and a three year old. We just watched in horror holding our babies...wondering if this was the end for all of us. I still can't believe the whole thing...it was so surreal... Nope, never been the same since.

WooOOOooOO HooOOOOoO!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS, to both of you!!! Sending love and hugs, Linda

I'm so sorry (((hug))) Please know that my thoughts are with you at this awful time. Linda

Yay Tom and Denise!!! Congratulations, I'm so happy/proud! (((hug))) Linda

Zinnea!! I know a baby girl with this name...it's sooo sweet!

Congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for both of you Here's to MANY more years! Linda

WONDERFUL NEWS Patti I'm so relieved! And VERY happy for you! Prayers, as always, (((Patti))) Linda

So, my Mama is about to begin her radiation. She will be in Victoria having daily treatment for four weeks, starting next Wednesday. She'll come home on the weekends. Can anyone share your experience with radiation...it's side effects..and all of that stuff? Thanks so much, Prayers for everyone, Linda

Hi everyone. My Mom had an SUV value of 8.8 on her main (and only, so far) tumor. Can anyone explain what SUV values are, and what they mean? Thanks, Linda

You know...my Mom has only barely just begun this journey, and already, I'm SICK of that question!!! It's the first thing people say..."does she/did she smoke?" Well ,yes, she did..and she still DOES. But does that make my Momma more deserving of death?? Does it lessen in ANY way, the incredible person she is, and always has been?? I hate that question...and am struggling with the whole smoking issue. I still smoke too...and am EXTREMELY angry at myself for that.

Marcia, I am very new here myself, but I just wanted to say that you've found a wonderful place for education and support. I look forward to getting to know you better. Keep fighting, (((hug))) Linda

Congratulations!!! I am so thrilled for you! Stories like yours give me so much hope for my own family! Sending love, Linda

Best of luck to you, Mitch, for a safe, smooth and perfect procedure! This praying thing is new to me, but I sure seem to be doing it a lot these days! I'll say a prayer for you, that everything goes as planned! Thanks for being there for me in this new and scary time. I'll be happy to return the favour if EVER you need it! I battle with my weight as well. Feeling pretty good right now, and have lost 29 pounds since January The BEST to you! You'll do fantastic! xoxo LInda

Cindy, I don't know that we've met yet, but I just read your history!!!! I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Just that little bit of story has made my day! What a SURVIVOR you are!! My Mom was told, after a CT scan that it was 99% likely that she has lung cancer. It's been really tough so far, and we don't even have a proper staged and typed diagnosis yet! However, she just had a bone scan come back negative, and the results of her biopsy came back negative also! So now we're in this strange limbo, where we're back to not knowing if it's even cancer at this point....craziness...an absolute rollercoaster! Just seeing your history gives me more hope, so I'm VERY glad that you are back, and I hope to get to know you better (((Cindy))) Linda

I've got a trick that almost always seems to work too. 11 swallows of water while holding your breath. Not 10, not 12...11. I have no idea why it works, but it seems to do the trick! (((hug))) Linda

I'm so grateful to have my feelings backed up! Thank you so much. We are big believers that all questions about anything should be answered with honest, age appropriate answers, so this is really good to hear. Thankfully, so far there's nothing from their point of view to ask questions about. love, Linda

Thanks so much Katie, for splitting this off..and also for your wonderful reply You have made me feel reassured. We spend tons of time with Mom now, always have, so that is not strange to them. I agree with keeping it simple, age appropriate...etc.. As for the smoking...hopefully by the time we need to tell them anything..that will be a non-issue! xoxox Linda

I'm having some financial fears today! Does anyone know what is and is not covered in regards to cancer treatment in BC Canada??? Mom has no extended medical, just the regular MSP coverage that we all get. Hoping for answers, xoxo Linda

This is such a scary topic for me!!! My kids are DD6 and DS10. They are extremely close to my Mom, and spend most weekends having sleepovers at Mumo's (that's how my son said grandma at 9 months old..and it just stuck..she is now officially Mumo to all the kids!) house! All we know at this point, is that she has lung cancer. We do not yet know the type/stage etc.. We've decided not to tell them anything at this point because nothing has changed in their world yet. Mom is not really sick right now. What I need to know is: How on earth do we tell them?? What do we tell them, and WHEN??? I CANNOT imagine telling them if my hubby and I are still smoking! It would scare them to death! How do we do this?? Do we wait? Is it wrong of us to wait? What do you all think?